Maricopa County Animal Care & Contol and Office of Enterprise Technology - Reuniting Lost Pets with their Owners Utilizing GIS

About the Program

Category: Information Technology (Best in Category)

Year: 2014

In an attempt to increase the number of lost animals returned home, Maricopa County Animal Care & Control (MCACC) partnered with the Maricopa County Office of Enterprise Technology (OET) to create an interactive map designed to assist pet owners in their search for their lost animal (http://www.nolostpetsmaricopa.org/). GIS is used to geo-locate the locations of lost pets, which are then displayed on a web map. The map is easily accessible through MCACC’s main website. The map allows pet owners to perform various searches, including entering the cross streets of where their pet was last seen; entering a home address; or, by GPS to determine an owner’s current location and searching from that point. Photos of animals that have been brought to MCACC appear on the map, along with a brief description and animal identification number. Pet owners then call MCACC with the animal identification number and are given instructions for how to claim their lost pet.